Page 55 of Irresistible

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Saturday

Standing in the living room, Brock took one last look around and decided he’d done as much as he could. The house he’d bought a year ago and redone was ready for Lilly. Or as ready as he could make it. If she agreed to his proposal, then she would make all the final decisions on decorating. What he’d done, along with the help of his brothers, was create a beautiful box. Making it a home would be up to her. And that’s what he wanted—a home with Lilly. All he had to do was see if she was interested.

The last couple of days had given him hope, and he prayed that his ideas and her ideas about what that meant were not too far apart. The last several months had been about as brutal as could be. How many couples dealt with a deranged stalker and an ex-boyfriend who thought violence was the answer? Not many. But here they were on the other side of most it and still together. At least, he hoped they were together.

Nothing had been formally discussed, and that’s what today was about. Discussing the state of their union. A soft knock on the door told him he was minutes away from finding out whether he was going to live happily ever after or be crushed into a pile of dust. Smoothing down his T-shirt, he squared his shoulders and walked to the door.

Swinging it open, he was greeted with his favorite sight: a smiling Lilly. “Hi, honey.” He stepped back and swept his arm up. “Welcome home.” The funny look she gave him suggested his statement might’ve been a bit much. Oh, well.

“This is a beautiful old house,” she said. “Looks like it’s been completely restored. I like that little pond you’ve got out front with the bridge crossing it.”

Taking her hand, he leaned in and kissed her cheek. “You will be happy to know that this area didn’t flood back in February. We’re on high ground, so you’ll be safe and dry here.” He tugged her down the hall. “Let me show you around. Brody and I have been working on it for about a year, and we’ve got it almost done.” He led her past the dining room and the master bedroom into the great room. “The kitchen just got finished yesterday. I had to wait for the countertops.” He watched Lilly walk into the kitchen and run her hands over the smooth surface.

“This is what I wanted to put in my house.” Turning in a full circle, she grinned. “This is a perfect kitchen.”

“I’m glad you like it, honey.” He led her over to the windows and wrapped his arms around her waist. “The pool hasn’t been updated yet, but it will be in the spring. We have about two acres, so there’s plenty of room for Popcorn and the kids to play.” When she didn’t comment on his not-so-subtle hints, he figured she knew what he was up to. “Let’s go upstairs and I’ll show you the rooms.”

“When you talked about the house you’ve been redoing, I had no idea. This is a lot of room for one man.”

“It was in foreclosure and I got a great deal. I couldn’t pass it up, and I figured that I could fill it up someday.” He led her past the master bedroom, toward the stairs. That would be the last stop on the tour and the place he hoped to consummate his offer.

Once they were standing at the head of the stairs, he led her to the balcony that overlooked the downstairs. The tall windows that faced the back of the property allowed them an unobstructed view. They could see the grove of trees that bisected the backyard. Standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist again and rested his chin on her shoulder. “What do you think?”

“Brock, it’s so pretty. And quiet. Living in a townhome for that last several years has made me realize that having some space between houses is a good thing.”

Running his nose along the soft skin of her neck allowed him to drink in her scent. When he pressed his mouth to her pulse point, he felt her shiver. “I’d better not start something until I show you the rest of the house.”

“You can start…if you want.” She turned around in his arms and hugged him tightly. “Or I can.”

“Don’t distract me, woman. I have rooms to show you.” He unwrapped her hands and pulled her toward the hall. “There are three bedrooms up here and room to expand if we want.” They looked in the first empty bedroom and then the second. “Okay, close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“’Cause I said so.”

“Fine.”

He looked down and made sure she had her eyes closed. “No peeking.” When he was convinced she was playing along, he opened the door to the last room. Leading her inside, he smiled. “Go ahead. Open them.” When she gasped and covered her mouth, he figured his remodel had turned out okay. “This is your writing room.”

“Oh, my word, it’s so lovely.”

He’d painted the room the same pale yellow that she had in her current office. One wall was covered in framed corkboards, and the other displayed framed covers of her books. He and Brody had built her a desk and shelves, and he’d made sure to get her the best ergonomic chair he could find. There was a small couch on the last wall and a rug for Popcorn. “Do you like it?”

“It’s the most perfect room in the whole world. I can’t believe you did this. It’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

Taking her hand, he felt a ball of emotion threaten to erupt. He swallowed heavily and shrugged. “Lilly, you are my reason. You always have been.”

“Reason for what?” she asked gently.

“Everything. I remodeled this house for you. Let me take care of you. Let me love you. Men need a reason, and you’re mine.”

Stepping into his arms, she crushed herself against him and held him tightly. “Oh, honey,” he said, “I hope those are happy tears soaking my T-shirt.” When her head moved against his chest, he took that as a yes. Leaning his head on top of hers, he held her while she cried. “When Mama passed, I thought that I never wanted to love someone the way she and Daddy loved each other. I saw him destroyed, and I wouldn’t put myself in that position. I didn’t let myself feel that deeply for anyone, except you. I’m all in, Lilly. You have my heart, and if it costs me everything, then it’ll surely be worth it.”

Her head tipped up, and he saw her beautiful whiskey eyes filled with love. It finally dawned on him that she had always looked at him that way. He just hadn’t seen it. But now he did. And he planned on doing everything he could to make sure she never looked at him differently. “I love you, Lilly Bertrand, and I probably have since I was ten and saw your sassy smile.”

“I love you, too. Guess I always have.” Patting his chest, she then leaned forward and kissed him right over his heart. “I’m going to keep you and love you as hard as I can.”

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